Category: History - Other
The elephant is the largest living land animal; and, though numerous forms existed in early geological times, it is represented to-day by two species only,—the African elephant, _Elephas Africanus_, and the Asiatic elephant, _Elephas Indicus_. The geographical range of the for...
The elephant is the largest living land animal; and, though numerous forms existed in early geological times, it is represented to-day by two species only,—the African elephant,...
2. CHAPTER II.The most favorable locality to observe wild elephants in India is in Mysore, where the western ghats, the Billiga-rungun hills, and the Goondulpet and Kákankoté forests, afford...
3. CHAPTER III.In determining the intelligence of an animal, we naturally take ourselves as the type of mental excellence, and grade the lower animals as they approach us. Some would place the...
4. CHAPTER IV.In one of the old Chinese histories, there is a description of a curious creature called _tyn-schu_, supposed to be a subterranean, rat-like animal. It lived, according to the o...
5. CHAPTER V.Though to-day we look to Asia and Africa for elephants, and consider the huge proboscidians as extremely un-American, they originally roamed this country in vast herds, and were...
6. CHAPTER VI.Many elephants have become famous in ancient and modern times,—some by their deeds in war (for their courage and daring), others for their domestic virtues and intelligence. But...
7. CHAPTER VII.Though the tusks of the Asiatic elephant are not large and valuable enough to make its capture for that purpose profitable, the live animal itself is greatly esteemed as a beast...
8. CHAPTER VIII.In the previous chapter we have seen how elephants were captured in the early times in India, and how modern methods have humanized the entire system of their seizure; and now w...
9. CHAPTER IX.The lion and tiger share the time-honored term of king of beasts; their courage, intrepid natures, majestic bearing, and record for ferocity, having earned them the title, in th...
10. CHAPTER X.Mention of the white elephant is found in the very early histories of Oriental countries. In a work called the “Mahaw Anso,” the animal is described as forming a part of the ret...
11. CHAPTER XI.While the elephant of Ceylon does not differ specifically from its cousins of Continental India, there are certain facts of interest about it that would seem to warrant special...
12. CHAPTER XII.The popular opinion concerning the elephant is, that it is treacherous, quick to avenge an insult, and possesses a specially retentive memory regarding injuries received. This i...
13. CHAPTER XIII.From the huge size of its body and tusks, the African elephant affords, if any thing, a better opportunity of testing the skill and endurance of the hunter than its Asiatic ally...
14. CHAPTER XIV.The adult elephant attracts attention because of its great size and massive proportions; but the baby elephant is sure of the undisguised admiration of the young folk, for an ex...
15. CHAPTER XV.The readiness of the elephant to familiarize itself with various tricks has been recognized from very early times, and the list of accomplishments which these unwieldy creatures...
16. CHAPTER XVI.All animals have their favorites or friends,—it may be some attendant or some animal to which they have formed an attachment,—and the elephant is no exception to the rule. Most...
17. CHAPTER XVII.We have seen how the elephant is trapped, glanced at it in confinement, and now come to the question of its actual value; in other words, how it is utilized by man. The simplest...
18. CHAPTER XVIII.One of the most valuable, and certainly the most beautiful, of animal products is the substance we call ivory, which composes the upper incisor teeth of elephants. From the very...
19. CHAPTER XIX.The elephant has figured prominently in the arts from the earliest times. The first artist in ivory was undoubtedly contemporaneous with the mammoth; as upon a piece of mammoth’...
20. CHAPTER XX.As the elephant was used in the early days to add to the pomp and glory of the Roman conquerors, it is not surprising that they were also employed in the games and sports of the...
21. CHAPTER XXI.In all the magnificent ceremonials and pageants of the Orient, the elephant forms a prominent feature: and even to-day we are delighted and amused with the impressive spectacle...
22. CHAPTER XXII.During the recent war between England and Burmah, which resulted in the overthrow of King Theebaw, the elephant was frequently mentioned in despatches as being a valuable auxili...
23. CHAPTER XXIII.The earliest mention of war elephants is made by Ctesias, where he describes Cyrus as making war against King Amoræus, who placed a large number of elephants in ambush, putting...
24. CHAPTER XXIV.The war elephant was a feature of the armies of the Orient many years before it was known in Italy. We have seen that the huge animal was especially effective in spreading terro...
25. CHAPTER XXV.In Burmah and Siam, the white elephant is supposed, by some, to be the abode of a transmigratory Buddha; and in India, certain elephants with a single right tusk are reverenced....
26. part iii. C. Perrault.Elephant, Asiatic, how captured, 77. Asiatic, in captivity, 91. Asiatic, various breeds of, 93. Asiatic, fodder of, 95. Asiatic, Barnum’s, harnessed, 204. Asiatic, on ancient me...